International Hydroinformation Center

Itaipu and the Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) are preparing the installation in Foz do Iguaçu of the International Hydroinformation Center.

The creation of the Center, which will function at the Itaipu Technological Park (PTI), is a Unesco proposal developed by the International Hydrological Program (PHI), a joint effort by many countries to improve the information available on hydraulic resources, both on the world's surface and underground.

The objective of Unesco is to increase the knowledge on the world-wide hydrological cycle and develop better management of these resources. The PHI promotes the development of scientific and technological bases for the generation of methodologies favorable to a coherent administration of water resources.

Upon request by Itaipu, since 2003 Unesco has been monitoring the watershed of the São Francisco Verdadeiro River, one of the most important formers of the power plant reservoir.

On evaluating the methodology of the management Itaipu applies to this hydrographic basin under the Cultivating Good Water program, and convinced of the efficiency of the initiative with regard to the necessary care for the water and the environmental sustainability of the activities developed in the region, Unesco has decided to offer it as a reference to the other 70 watersheds overseen by the PHI in the five continents.

Hydroinformation technology is a new dimension of the water science, driven by the advance of information technology for modeling water management.

The expertise accumulated by Itaipu on this subject resulted in the development of Sig@ Livre, a digital tool the company uses to geoprocess waters of its interest via free software.

The existence of the International Hydroinformation Center represents a new perspective for the management of the world's waters and benefits all Unesco member countries, especially those which lack access to technologies, such as those in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The International Hydroinformation Center will involve institutions and agencies both from Brazil and Paraguay. The first international contacts are being made with managers and universities from Latin America and the Caribbean.